“Not In My Backyard” (NIMBY) Is Alive And Well In Missouri
Tech companies like Google, Meta, and Microsoft argue that data centers are necessary for digital infrastructure, but they are not popular with the general public, and for good reasons.
Data centers, particularly those focused on artificial intelligence, consume vast amounts of power—comparable to that of a small city. This high energy demand strains the electrical grid and contributes to rising energy rates for residential customers. Additionally, the constant noise from industrial-scale cooling fans and the continuous exterior lighting can negatively impact the quality of life for nearby residents.
Large amounts of water are used for cooling, raising concerns in drought-prone areas and putting pressure on local water supplies. Dependence on diesel generators for backup power raises air quality concerns, and the large footprint often displaces green spaces.
The juice is not worth the squeeze. Although they create temporary construction jobs, completed data centers employ very few staff, offering minimal long-term economic benefits relative to their significant impact on the community.
Tech companies often construct these facilities with limited community input or public transparency, leading to distrust.
Distrust is exactly what reared its ugly head in Festus, Missouri. A planned data center by CRG Clayco put a large portion of the community at odds with supporters of the project, especially with the city council, which chose to ignore the loud voices opposing the center.
However, they were heard loud and clear on Tuesday when the four council members who were up for election were soundly voted out of office. The vote came after the board had voted to proceed with the massive undertaking.
In an interview with St. Louis Public Radio, Dan Moore, who won his race for the council seat in Ward 3, said, “This data center fight has struck this community to the core and really, honestly ignited a community-driven effort here. People are awake now, and we’re not going to let this continue on anymore.”
City Administrator Greg Camp has touted the project as an opportunity for growth and increased tax revenue across multiple jurisdictions. Last year, he went on record saying, “It’s unlike anything that any of these, certainly the city, or any of those institutions, have ever seen before.”
As if being ignored wasn’t bad enough, city officials called the group opposing the project “uneducated.”
Moore explained, “We have been ignored for way too long. It has been a problem in Festus for quite some time. I think this has just brought it to the surface.”
Rick Belleville, the newly elected council member for Ward 4, expressed that he and others who opposed the project were frustrated by the lack of transparency in the data center approval process.
“We’re going to approach those challenges as a community and not as a group of people who don’t listen to us.”
They certainly weren’t shy about their feelings, as shown in this video.
Spectrum News interviewed several residents, and the animosity they feel is palpable.
“We are voting anti-data center, and those who support it are not supporting the people of this community,” resident Shari Hongsermeier-Baxter said.
Another resident, Tyler Scott, added:
“This election is important because of the mayor and council members who have been untruthful and have had secret meetings. It’s going to affect my property value. It’s going to affect my family’s health; there has just not been enough research done by the council itself.”
The election does not mark the end of opposition to political leaders who supported the center. A petition to recall the mayor and current council members is being circulated.
Resident Andrew Smreker was defiant, “We were pushed away as saying that we were just a vocal minority of just 50 people, but a lot of folks are signing the petition for the recall.”
It’s understandable why residents would oppose the $6 billion project, given its troubling environmental impact and the fact that it would occupy 360 acres. All the candidates who were voted in to replace the four who were booted out ran on anti-data-center platforms. A local opposition group, “Wake Up JeffCo,” also filed a lawsuit to stop the project.
This isn’t the first time CRG has faced opposition to these data centers. Last year in St. Charles, MO, a $1 billion project faced intense opposition, garnering over 6,000 signatures on a petition. In that case, CRG was forced to withdraw its permit application.
The opposition to CRG projects reflects a national trend where communities are resisting the high resource demands of AI-driven data centers. These projects are difficult to promote due to numerous issues and a lack of significant benefits for the communities where they are built. There has to be a better way to approach this.
